


Legend

by SpaceMalarkey



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Character Analysis, Character Study, Existentialism, Gen, Hope, Hopeful Ending, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Very brief description of injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:01:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22773811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceMalarkey/pseuds/SpaceMalarkey
Summary: A small LU headcanon from back in September that I decided to write into a small one shot
Comments: 18
Kudos: 115





	1. Chapter 1

Link remembers all the deaths he has succumbed to. Every single cut and stab. Every single time he has fallen to his doom, or been crushed under heavy boulders. Every time his skin burned away and every time his lungs were filled with water. He understands what death is like, understands the horror of coming back from it time and time again. He understands the confusion of going from horrible pain, to nothing, to the dread of whatever is going to come next, to suddenly being back in the world of the living like none of your trauma was real. 

He understands them, the people of his era. He understands their feelings and problems after he revived them with the might of the Triforce the first time he fought Ganon. 

He understands the dread of going to bed, fearing that you’ll never wake up again.    
He understands the way your mind disconnects from reality, almost like you aren’t here. Like your body doesn’t fit. It’s not right. 

You shouldn’t be here. 

He understands them, because he has these feelings too, yet no one seems to worry for him like he worries for them.

He has died so many times just so he could save them. Just so they could all live. Just to make everything right.

He’s becoming so jaded from all the quests he is forced into, as well as dying so many times without anyone caring for his health and sanity. Eventually he shuts down, losing his outwardly kind nature and his loving smiles. 

He becomes cold. 

Link constructs a mask. A figurative mask made of snark and sass. He doesn’t care how harsh his words are, yet underneath the mask, his soul is screaming. He can’t bring himself to  _ not care _ . He cares so much. 

He knows it will hurt him to show that care no matter what. He has tried so many times. His hope was crushed into tiny pieces every time, so now he’s hiding those shards inside. Deep down into his soul where no one can destroy what little fragile light there is left in him. 

Then he meets the other heroes. 

They are a bunch of morons, he thinks, but something happens. Slowly, every so slowly, the shards glue themselves back together, and with it, his fear returns. His hope is being restored. He sees so much of himself in these people, in all of them. Every single one of them knows what it's like, knows what it feels like. Yet he is scared to have his hope completely destroyed. He doesn't think that it can stand another blow. He thinks that if he shows them this, shows them his true side, and they reject him, then that hope will be lost forever.

It’s so hard. And like his true side, he can’t hide it completely. His words become less harsh, his sass turns into jokes. His scathing comments become helpful ones.

It’s terrifying, but he can’t stop. He can only watch as that hope is slowly brought out into the light, and ironically, all he can do is hope that they won’t destroy it.

  
He sees Wild, and he just  _ knows _ . Link somehow can sense all the death and despair that lies in his soul. The worst part is that Wild doesn’t seem to remember all of it. It's hovering at the edge of his mind, but he can’t recall it properly. Link would call it a mercy, if he didn't know that it was just a matter of time before it all came crashing into Wild's soul and shattered it completely. He wonders if Wild will keep that soft smile on his face, and keep caring and genuinely love everything around him when his soul is in pieces, and there is no one there to help him. 

Just like what happened to Link. 

He sees Wind, this small child who is so excited to be here, who smiles every day and cheers up everyone else. Link can see through the ruse. See how he hides his anxiety and pain with smiles. Sees how his duties as a big brother take over his life and never letting himself be comforted.

He wonders if Wind will ever let himself be a person on his own, without letting anyone else’s wishes come before his.

He sees Four and thinks he is hiding something. He can feel the magic radiating from him. Sometimes, Link thinks he sees four boys, where there should only be one. He thinks the calm Four is presenting himself with doesn’t match the seething rage he showed in the battle earlier, or the happy smile that made its way unbidden across his face when he watched someone's kids play with each other.

Four feels shattered, Four feels like one. Four is confusing. He is clearly open minded and loves to be around people, but it seems as though he is acting. Just like Link is. And like Link, the boy is slowly warming up, and letting himself into the light. 

He wonders if Four is as terrified as he is.

When he looks at Sky, all he sees is anger. It’s so strange, because anger isn’t what he physically sees on Sky. Ever. But it is there, deep inside. When he first met Sky, he imagined he would see a pure soul, sky blue, or transparent like water. But when Link looks at him, all he can imagine is red. Deep red like blood. Sky is bloody, he is angry, he is hatred. He is a complete contrast to his skin, where he is happy, loving and calm. Link wonders if keeping all that hate in check is the reason why he is so sleepy. Why he is so easily tired out and why he seems to be able to sleep anywhere.

He wonders how much blood the Master Sword was forged in.

When he looks at Warriors, he sees an opponent in every way. Warriors seems ready for everything to go down, just like Link is. They are so alike. 

Both of them expect to be betrayed every single second of every single day. But where Link has made a mask of indifference and harsh words, Warriors has made a mask of the opposite. He uses his charisma and charm to his advantage. Uses his smiles and his genuine eyes. Yet there is an uncertainty in his movements. Even as he assures and calms down the others after a fight, he looks like he is expecting one of them to try and stab him. 

It’s why Link likes messing with him, trying to bring him into the light. 

_ They can go together _ , his actions say.  _ We can trust again, we can hope again.  _

Link has no idea what happened to Warriors in the past to make him like this. All he knows is that he wants him to feel safe.

When he looks at Twilight, he sees someone in denial. Every time he looks at Twilight, how his eyes stare so longingly into the beautiful red sky, he sees himself, staring out at sea. He hears the seagulls cry and he feels sand under his toes. He sees her smile and the way her hair blows in the wind, and suddenly he understands. 

He understands why Twilight looks like he does, he understands why he feels like he does. 

He understands heartache better than anyone, and he hates seeing himself reflected in the other hero.

Hyrule is someone he has failed. 

From the moment he first laid eyes on him, Link knows exactly who he is. He is the hero that came after him. He feels such guilt and regret. Were all those quests for nothing? Were they not enough to spare another hero down the line? The answer was a bellowing **no** . Nothing Link had done truly mattered if they had created a world in which this wonderful boy was hunted for his blood. 

And yet, Hyrule, for all the trauma he has been through, and the trauma he still lives with, is happy. He is a beacon, a shining light that promises that the world is still spinning. Link loves him for it, but he also feels as if it was unfair of the world. 

Why did someone so young have to be such a force? Why did someone so lonely have to be the saviour?

He sees Time, and he sees someone with the might of a god. There is power spilling from him in all directions, so powerful that Link is shocked to discover that none of the others can feel it. 

He wonders why the older man has such power flowing from him, and then he sees it. 

Time is a paradox. There is weakness and strength, hope and despair, life and death. All of it is there inside him, all of it is there for everyone to see, yet no one does. 

It’s the best mask one could ever hope to construct. 

Time hides in plain sight, never seems to hide his true feelings. He shows surprise, he shows fear, he shows anger, he shows happiness. But all of these are much calmer than what he truly feels. He purposefully reduces his emotions, places a lid over them where he can control how much he lets out. 

Link can see it more clearly the one time he let it go. The day he pranked Warriors with his skeleton mask. The day he let himself laugh loudly and openly, like the world couldn’t hurt him for being normal. 

Link observes him closely, and he feels a deep sorrow from this man. He isn’t what he seems, in any way. Is he hylian like them? Is he a man, a child? Is he dead, or alive?

Link comes to the shocking conclusion that he is all of them. 

That is why his mask is so perfect, so effective.

Link looks at himself in the mirror. Sees the hope in him that has been restored to its fullest. He hasn’t felt this giddy since he was a child. Since the first time-

No, this isn’t the time to dwell on that. This is about now. 

He takes a deep breath, and accepts them into his heart. Accepts them as people he loves.   
Accepts them as people who want nothing more than for him to feel loved in return. 

Legend steps out of the darkness, and exposes his heart to the light one final time.


	2. Oops my hand slipped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus angst

He remembers every death. Every time he was sliced open for sport, every time he was hunted by dark beings when he was completely vulnerable. Every single time he fell from impossible heights in a dark world. Every burn, every drowning, every beating. Every single one. 

He never understood why. He always woke up at an earlier time, so he could try again. An endless loop until he got it right. 

Just for them. 

All for them. 

And yet when he finally made it, when he finally reached the Triforce, his only wish was to have his people back. All the people who died in the attacks, in the monster raids. Everyone who died in the chaos. 

The Triforce saw his pure wish, and it granted it. 

It was all a little too perfect. 

Because everyone remembered their death too.

He didn't know what to do when Uncle came home, looking lost and confused. He didn't know what to do when Uncle became unresponsive, constantly getting lost in confusion and horror over the memories of being dead. 

No matter how much Legend explained it to him, he just couldn't understand.

Everywhere Legend looked, there were people like Uncle. People who were so caught up in their own new problem that they failed to see him. 

None of them saw what he had done for them. None of them saw his pain. 

It was too much. So painful and so lonely. He didn't know what else to do but return to the roads, and keep walking. 

No one noticed him leaving. No one asked questions when he came back, face harder and eyes duller than ever before.

Then, once again trouble returns to Hyrule, and Legend is once again the only person who can stop it. Thankfully more people have settled in Hyrule in the last years, so there are new faces all around.  _ Someone might remember him this time. _

A false hope, Legend thinks. Because it will only go like last time. They forget him once their own troubles arrive at their doorstep.

He leaves the house, leaves the strange merchant behind, and makes his way over to the meadow not far from his lodgings. 

The moment he sees Uncle, dressed in black and yellow, playing with his delusions, his heart aches. He is filled with such rage when Uncle addresses him like he is a stranger.

And yet, Uncle is happy now, isn't he? 

He is happy that Legend isn't in his life anymore.

His anger deflates, like it always does, and he lowers his gaze to the ground. 

"You were supposed to protect me," he speaks, his voice soft, barely heard over the buzzing of the bees. 

"You were supposed to stay with me and hold me and tell me everything would be alright. You were supposed to take the pain from me and support me and love me."

He is painfully aware that his voice is thickening with emotion. His vision is blurry. 

"You were all I had."

He takes a deep, shuddering breath, and leaves before Uncle can completely ignore him in favour of the bees. He can't watch it again, not today. 

He storms back to the house-  _ his _ house, and wipes at his eyes furiously. 

Heroes aren't supposed to cry.

He collects himself before opening his door, Ravio's high voice welcoming him back before it suddenly cuts off. 

Legend simply stands there, staring at the ground. 

Then, there are arms around his form, and a body pressed close. 

Ravio's normally annoying mannerisms are nowhere to be seen. Instead he is calm, voice like a warm fireplace in the chilly autumn rain. 

"I'm here," is all he says, and Legend breaks down in his arms.

There is someone who cares. 

He is obnoxious, he's stupid, he's oddly pushy and sarcastic. He comes off as uncaring and manipulative. 

And yet, he is the only person in both worlds who gives a damn. 

It's ironic, Legend finds, that the only person who cares about him is his own counterpart.

Later, more people arrive who actually care. Eight of them, all carrying the same spirit. Their stories are different, yet their experiences were the same as his. 

And still the only people who care for them are themselves. 

It’s cruel, and Legend thinks that the selfish people of Hyrule should be happy that he doesn’t have the Triforce, or he would have evened the scales. 

Destroy it all, before they could destroy more of him. 


End file.
